Building Mobile Apps, Building Company Success

There were days when people had to flock to stores for products and spend hours exploring malls. Elder generations will tell you how shopping trips were set aside only for certain days. That is why they are elder generations and those are elder generation transactions. Things have changed. It is the digital era where remote connectivity dominates the life of a consumer. The advent of apps, more specifically those made for the mobile platforms have revolutionized businesses. It’s unthinkable imagining a company today not having a mobile presence. Mobile apps are the ultimate tools for a company to reach out to customers and that is our focus here. Hopefuls looking to establish a startup take heed; this is how you build the app your company needs.

So what makes it so important?

The answer is, everything. All your business promotions, advertisements, attractions and policies can be implemented here. Not only that, an app can enhance and boost all of those functions. Customers now have all they need to know in the palm of their hands. This is a key factor that encourages more exposure to advertisement, passing of information, catalog browsing and eventually sales. In addition, the popularity of apps makes it a fixed requirement for customers. Everyone with a mobile device would want all their products available through it. Hence it is unlikely for people to invest much in a company that doesn’t meet this criteria. So if you are starting up your own start up, the mobile apps are the apt way to rev up your firm’s revenue. Check out Forbes’s report on what renders an app essential for more on this.

Factors to consider

Like all other things, apps are created with a wide range of quality. Some instantly strike the right chord with users. Others miserably fail at the desired purpose. It is very important to note that a poor app can in fact chase customers away with its annoying functions. Hence it is compulsory that companies pay special care to creating their app. The first consideration to be made is the degree of complexity. Here the company must know its target audience and how tech-savvy they are. The app’s functions must be designed to match them in terms of ease of use. Secondly you must focus on the marketing for your app itself before it starts marketing your product. Lack of buzz surrounding release is often the cause of lack of popularity among customers. Lastly, be wary of your budget. Making an app is a significant investment. Thus have your finances planned out for achieving the appropriate final result.

What you need to make an app

The process of making an app starts with market research. You must conduct surveys to find out what your customers want. Next comes the professional part. This involves hiring coding and programming experts or asking an outsourcing firm to do it for you. The development of freelancing platforms has made it easier to hire skilled people at a reasonable rate. At this stage you make the technical decisions such as the platforms your app will cover, as well as its type and functionality. Once the technological wizards have weaved their magic, your app is ready. Next you go for a soft launch. This means that the app will be on the app stores but you won’t engage in any PR and marketing. The purpose behind it is testing out the app and looking for bugs. Once they are fixed, you go for the full fledged launch with an all out advertisement onslaught. For more on what you need to make an app, check out this article on Mashable.

The breakdown of an app

This differs depending on whether your app is being made for Android or IOS. Usually companies would want their app to be available on both. However money often becomes a stumbling block in which case Android is generally recommended as a better market for newcomers. In any case we will be explaining both. An Android app starts from creating data storage. From here it goes to user account creations, security verifications and user experience customization. To finish up, you work out third party data integration, constant user engagement and finally make version 2 (main version) live. IOS apps follow a slightly different path. You again start at data storage but then go on to creating offline data usage and user interface customization. Next you further polish up your user interface and make it functional. Lastly you add the finishing touches that make your user experience best.

Creating an app on your own

Outsourcing is the more common way of handling the creation of your app. Asking specialists to do the job is convenient and safe. However the converse is also an option. You could just as well rope in skilled individuals and do it internally. The latter has the advantage that you have more control over the making of your digital tool. You can customize its interface, database and features just the way you like – something that can be found wanting if the work is being conducted by a separate firm. Sure enough there is a risk of letting less experienced people handle your precious project, but in some cases the more flexibility you exert over the process the more desirable the outcome is.

Hiring a specialist

Okay so making an app internally offers more control and potentially less expertise. Needless to say giving the job to an outsourcing firm has the opposite effect. Here you have all manner of skilled coders, programmers and other IT specialists at your disposal. However an important thing to note here is that you must verify whom you give the job to. Reputed and capable people will have an impressive list of clients and apps they’ve made. You can narrow down your candidates to those who have previously made similar apps. They will have the specific knowhow that you require for your app to turn out to meet expectations.

Businesses need a mobile apps like a plants needs fertilizers. And it’s also very crucial that you get your formula right. Starting from figuring out what you need, to hiring the right people and finally completing the app. Every step has to be meticulously planned and executed for all your time and effort to work out in the end. Hence for any startup, one of your first priorities has to be conceiving the right app. It will most certainly be your first step to establishing a foothold for your business. Thus, plan ahead, invest smartly, get the required people and get it done right. Because it is the catapult that elevates your ideas to the dizzying heights you dream of.

Get in touch with our mobile apps consultants at info@illusivedesign.net for converting your business concept into reality.